As an avid motorcyclist, I’m not typically one to hop aboard a 15 hp, 150cc scooter with a look of excited anticipation…but as an avid Star Wars nerd, I have promised to zip it and save my opinions on the dark side after I try one of these buggers out in person.
Yamaha has partnered with Lucas Films to create two seriously stylish Star Wars-themed scooters, currently only available in Brazil.
According to a report from Yahoo, the scooters are available in two editions – Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance.
While Yamaha makes no promises as to the futuristic potential of these themed motors, the NMAX 160 ABS does sport the typical headlight-mounted front apron with LED headlight, raised windscreen, high-set handlebars, single-piece seat with pillion grab rail, and a digital instrument console – with everything stacked on blacked-out designer wheels.
With only 680 units being released, it might be a good idea to check availability for some serious scoots about the solar system.
A bit of advice for Yamaha – next time, we need a stormtrooper theme. It’s the only way to be guaranteed not to hit anything.
Suzuki Australia is recalling UH200 scooters over an issue with rusty speedos that could cost the rider a hefty speeding fine.
The official notice, issued through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, says 60 scootersfrom 2018 and 2019 are affected. The full list of vehicle identification numbers (VIND) are included at the end of this article.
“The speed sensor power supply circuit may experience corrosion,” the ACCC notice says.
“The corrosion may cause the speed sensor to lose power supply and could result in the speedometer and odometer not working correctly.
“If the speedometer is not working correctly, it may not show the correct speed. The rider will be unable to correctly determine the operating speed of the scooter.
“This may increase the risk of an accident, causing injury or death to the rider, passenger or other road users.”
It could also mean the rider could cop a speeding fine!
Owners will be contacted by Suzuki Australia in writing to take their scooter to their nearest authorised Suzuki dealer service department to arrange a free repair.
Even though manufacturers and importers usually contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.
Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle and scooter recalls as a service to all riders.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
All this and more could be yours for a minimum bid of $8,000.
Am I kidding? Nope. Say hello to the Jetson family, folks.
BringATrailer has 3 days left on a bid for a vintage firetruck-red 1947 Model 85 scooter, and I’m digging the dynamics. What other scooter can brag gas/brake pedals, a spring-cushioned solo seat, and 1.5 cubic feet of storage capacity?
According to a report from RideApart, Salisbury started up with their scooter line in the 1930s, when post-Depression Americans were looking for a cheap commute. Amelia Earheart, female pilot, and icon of the times, was said to have served as an inspiration for Salsbury’s spiffy style.
And that’s not all. Style came with speed, even back then. The scooter’s top velocity is due to the 320cc fan-cooled, 6 hp side-valve motor and maxes out at a hair-raising 50 mph – pray you don’t hit the speed bumps the wrong way.
The Model 85 was acquired by its current owner in 1996 and has since been refurbished with chrome detailing, paint touch-ups, and a fine-tuned CVT – in this case, ‘CVT’ standing for ‘Constant Velocity Transmission,’ not ‘Continuously Variable Transmission,’ as is true for most modern CVTS with a hand throttle.
Additional perk: only 1000 units of this model were made, with precious few remaining in such good shape. They sold for $800 back then, so the full accounting for inflation tips the scales at a neat $9500.
It’s a bargain, and you know you want it – if only to putter about town and make your neighbors jelly.
The Vektorr Concept is the first electric scooter ever produced by Husqvarna Motorcycles and is aimed squarely at the urban commuter.
Styled and ridden like a conventional scooter, the Vektorr Concept promises a modest top speed of 45 km/h and offer a range of up to 95 km.
The Bltz Concept will also be on display at the exhibition. It makes short urban travel easy with a stand-up scooter that can be folded up and carried, for example indoors or onto public transport. The rider stands on the Bltz Concept.
Vespa celebrates 75 years and reaches the extraordinary milestone of 19 million units produced, beginning from the spring of 1946. The Vespa that celebrates the 19 million is a GTS 300 in 75th Anniversary Special Edition and was assembled in the Pontedera plant, where Vespa has been manufactured uninterrupted since 1946.
Halfway through the first decade of the new millennia, annual Vespa production was around 50 thousand units and, since then, constant and spectacular growth took it an excess of 100 thousand in 2007 and 200 thousand from 2018.
Vespsa is today manufactured out of three production sites: Pontedera, with production destined for Europe, the Americas and all the western markets; Vinh Phuc, in Vietnam, which serves the local market along with Australia, and India hosts the ultra-modern Baramati plant, opened in April 2012, where Vespas for the Indian and Nepalese markets are produced.
For its 75th birthday, Vespa introduces a special Vespa 75th series, available for Vespa Primavera (in the 50, 125 and 150 cc engine sizes) and for Vespa GTS (in the 125 and 300 cc engine sizes), limitedly to 2021.
The body of Vespa 75th takes on the brand new metallic Giallo 75th colour which, designed expressly for this series, reinterprets colours in a modern key that were all the rage in the forties. The number 75 appears on the side panels and front mudguard in a more accentuated shade, creating an elegant tone-on-tone, as well on the front, where the traditional “necktie” is refined in a matte yellow pyrite colour.
Vespa was born out of the desire to create an innovative product for individual mobility. First a “motor scooter” was built on the model of small motorcycles for parachutists and then a prototype that revolutionised the concept that had dominated the classic motorcycling layout until then. A vehicle was created with a stress-bearing body, direct-drive, with the gear shift on the handlebar. The classic front fork disappeared in favour of a single-sided swingarm that made tyre changes easier and, above all, the frame disappeared, replaced by a stress-bearing body capable of protecting the rider from dirt and rumpled clothing. The Vespa design patent filing date is 23 April 1946.
After the years of rebirth, Vespa continued to strengthen through the generational renewal of the sixties. As cars and mass motorisation spread, Vespa offered salvation from traffic, with the versions in the smaller engine sizes catering to the growing youth market. Then, in the ‘70s, the signs of a growing ecological awareness and the first petrol crisis arrived, Vespa was the antidote to city pollution, able to zip through traffic and easily find parking.
Still built entirely out of steel to this day, Vespa has also carved out a modern legend and successfully blends heritage with modern technology in a way that no others has managed and continue to produce the world’s most evocative scooters.
Brief Vespa Timeline
On 23 April 1946, Piaggio (founded in 1884) files the patent for “a motorcycle featuring a rational elemental and organic complex combined with frame and fenders and an engine hood covering all mechanical parts”. The Vespa is born. The motorised scooter with a 98 cc, 2T single-cylinder engine is built in the Pontedera plant, in Tuscany.
1948 – The Vespa 125 cc model is introduced.
1949 – The Unione Italiana Vespa Riders, incorporating 30 clubs, is formed and holds its first convention.
1950 – Vespa begins production in German under a licence agreement with Hoffman-Werke.
1951 – Vespa begins production in the United Kingdom under license to Douglas of Bristol and in France with ACMA of Paris.
1952 – The Vespa Club Europea is born in Milan to bring the clubs in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Belgium together. Worldwide Vespa Club membership surpasses 50,000. There are more than 10,000 Vespa service stations around the world.
1953 – Vespa 125 is immortalised in the film Roman Holiday by William Wyler with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.
1955 – Vespa GS marks a turning point for Vespa which, for the first time, exceeds the 100 km/h mark, adopts a 4-speed gearbox for the first time and mounts 10 inch wheel rims.
1964 – The Vespino is born – Vespa in the 50 cc engine capacity.
1965 – Vespa sales surpass 3.5 million.
1968 – The “Chi Vespa mangia le mele” campaign (Those who Vespa eat the apples) revolutionises the advertising world.
1968 – Vespa Primavera is one of the longest-lasting Vespa models and the vehicle of new generations all over Europe.
1976 – Vespa Primavera 125 – ET3 is the first scooter with electronic ignition.
1978 – Vespa PX is born in the three-cylinder “classic” 125, 150 and 200 cc versions. It would be the most sold model in Vespa history with more than 30 million units.
1980 – Four Vespa PX units participate in the Paris-Dakar, the most epic and gruelling race in the world. Incredibly, ridden by Marc Simonot, one of them would go on to finish the race.
1984 – Vespa PK 125 Automatica is the first Vespa with an automatic transmission.
1988 – Vespa sales surpass 10 million.
1992 – Giorgio Bettinelli, writer and journalist, leaves Rome on a Vespa and reaches Saigon in March 1993. He would go on to accomplish several other feats: in 1994-95, also on a Vespa, he covered the 36,000 km from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. In 1995-96 he travelled from Melbourne to Cape Town – over 52,000 km in 12 months. In 1997 he started out from Chile, reaching Tasmania after three years and eight months, having travelled 144,000 km on his Vespa and crossed 90 countries across the Americas, Siberia, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. All in all, Bettinelli has travelled 250,000 km on a Vespa.
1996 – The new Vespa generation is born with the ET4 125 cc model. For the first time, Vespa adopts a 4T engine and automatic transmission.
1996 – The number of Vespas sold surpasses 15 million.
1997 – Vespa ET2 (50 cc) is launched.
1998 – Restyling and front disc brake for Vespa PX, the most sold scooter model in the world (over two million units from the time it was launched).
2000 – Vespa returns to the American market.
2003 – The return of the Vespone, Vespa GT 125 and Vespa GT 200 are born.
2005 – Vespa LX marks the return to Vespa’s most classic lines.
2006 – Vespa celebrates 60 years with the spectacular Vespa 60° special series that brings back the colours and style of the early Vespas.
2008 – Vespa 300 GTS Super is the highest performance and sportiest model in history.
2011 – Vespa 946 is highly exclusive model dedicated to aesthetic and technological perfection, the name of which recalls the year that the scooter symbolic of Italian elegance was born – 1946.
2013 – The legendary Vespa Primavera returns, produced in the 50, 125 and 150 engine sizes, it renews the legendary Vespino.
2018 – Vespa Elettrica is born, a modern work of art with a technological heart, destined to change the mobility segment. Completely silent and easy to ride, and produced entirely in Pontedera, it represents the revolutionary and contemporary soul of Vespa.
2021 – Vespa reaches 19 million units produced and celebrates 75 years with the Vespa 75th special series.
Australian importers have secured about 200 limited-edition Vespa scooters specially designed to celebrate the venerable Italian brand’s 75th anniversary.
The 75th anniversary Primavera 150 and GTS 300 models feature unique styling, special 75th anniversary decals, nubuck leather saddle edged in grey and chrome-plated luggage rack for a specially designed bag.
PS Imports Group Marketing Manager Dale McBride says “supply shouldn’t be too restricted with around 100 of each model.
The GTS and Primavera 75th models are due around late June/ July with pricing announced closer to arrival.
I’ve ridden many scooters and I have to say the best handling and among the best finished are the steel-body Vespas with their unique front suspension.
These two 75th models in retro “Giallo Pirite” metallic yellow should be very special, indeed.
One distinctive feature of the Vespa 75th is the chrome-plated rack and complimentary round bag whose shape replicates the typical spare wheel holder.
Made from velvety-soft nubuck leather in the same colour as the saddle, the bag has a shoulder strap and clips on the luggage rack with a quick-release mechanism. It comes with a waterproof cover.
Like all Vespa special editions, the series is identified with a plate behind the leg shield.
All 75th models come with a 4.3″ TFT colour display and Vespa MIA smartphone connectivity system.
Each Vespa 75th also comes with a Welcome Kit, a vintage steel Vespa plate, a personal Owner’s Book and eight collector postcards with images from the eight decades of the Vespa story.
THE VESPA LEGEND Vespa’s paint company, Piaggio, filed its first scooter patent on 23 April 1946, beginning 75 years of iconic urban riding.
Piaggio has now made nearly 19 million vehicles with the growth rate not slowing down.
Vespa produced 58,000 scooters in 2004, more than 100,000 in 2006, 180,000 in 2017 and 200,000 units in 2018.
Piaggio’s Beverly line up of scooters gets some styling updates to go along with the Euro 5 updates for the 2021 model year.
The Beverly 300 and 400 (previously 350) will be seeing a pleasant facelift with the addition of more aggressive styling for both standard and S versions. The S version will also include a windscreen and a few more accessories to make it look “sportier”.
The biggest difference between this and last year will be Piaggio’s decision to drop the 350cc model altogether and opt for a 400cc variant to top the list instead. Who’s to say if the loss in power from the Euro 5 updates lead to this bump in displacement, but it still makes more sense for the lineup to contain a 300 and 400 instead of a 300 and 350 anyways.
Both 300 and 400 will come with a 5.5″ fully digitalized dash (with Bluetooth connectivity), LED lighting all around, and a keyless ignition system to keep this commuter ready for quick trips around town. Both scooters will also get Showa suspension with the inclusion of 35mm non-adjustable front fork and twin shocks in the rear (with adjustable preload).
Currently, we have no information regarding pricing for these models as well as dates for USA availability. We do know that these are 2021 models, so of course, you will be seeing them at some point in early 2021.
Motorcycle Test by Wayne Vickers – Images Rob Mott
I had another scooter in the shed recently. Totally different proposition to the big Tmax I had a couple of months back which you can read more about here. This lwas Honda’s ADV150 and it wasn’t a bad little jigger. Honda are dubbing it an ‘adventure scooter’ which is probably having a bit of a laugh in comparison to genuine adventure bikes, but it’s certainly a little bit different and worth a look.
What are we looking at? Well, 150cc fuel injected single cylinder, auto gearbox, ABS both ends and even Showa shocks. It tips the scales at 133 kilos and will set you back around 6 grand.
My impression didn’t necessarily start off that well, it has a not-very-intuitive at first key fob and startup system. The key fob (it has no key as such so you can just keep it in your pocket) has three buttons with icons and no text and a start-up process that involves a push-and-turn dial on the bike as well as having to have the side stand upright and brakes on to start it. It took three blokes about five-minutes to get it started for the first time. The alarm had to be turned off and the dial turned to the right position before it would jump to life. A simple key would have certainly been quicker… but once you figure it out and get used to it, it’s ok. The fob comes with a button to make the bike beep if you’ve lost it in a car-park (although I didn’t test the range on that…), an alarm on and off button. I honestly left them all alone and just got on and rode.
On the road it’s quite refined. The auto clutch take-up is seamless, the engine is smooth and quiet while the ABS stoppers both ends feel up to the task. Mechanically its Honda through and through and feels bulletproof and well sorted.
It has quite a nice, nimble lightness to it that I think a lot of folks would find appealing. In traffic it’s able to hold its own against most cars from the front of the lights. Pumping out 14 horsepower and about the same number of Newton Metres of torque, it’s no rocket ship and doesn’t scream away from the lights. But for a nimble low-capacity scooter it goes ok in traffic.
Around town and on shorter jaunts it’s in its element – and certainly the slightly bigger than average sized wheels (for a scooter), help navigate rougher urban roads, potholes and tram tracks etc. But I wouldn’t want to spend extended hours touring on one out in the countryside. In fact, after the first 40 kilometres of mind numbingly boring highway work on the way home from picking it up I was already feeling it in my lower back and hips. I got used to it with some more time aboard, but it’s worth noting that the seat is quite firm and there’s not a lot of soaking up of serious bumps going on for longer trips.
So I’m not sure what sort of ‘Adventure’s’ Honda has in mind. While yes, it will handle good quality gravel roads (just like any other bike), I wouldn’t suggest you to have any plans to tackle anything gnarlier than that on it. I wouldn’t like to ride it through loose gravel.. (I did see a youtube video of someone trying it. And they tucked the front at the first sign of soft gravel and dropped it… so…), and I don’t think the undertray would like you for it either. On the flip side – It does have slightly taller ride height than some of its competitors, so it’s probably less likely to scrape on gutters. Maybe ‘Urban Adventurer’ might be more apt?
An 8 litre fuel tank is going to force you to stop fairly regularly on any longer trips too. I was averaging around 3.5L per hundred kays overall, but was seeing 4.5 – 5L/100ks on the dash while holding it pinned at 110 down the freeway (tucked in behind the adjustable two position front screen), so don’t expect to be getting any more than 200 kilometres per tank. I’d suggest it’d get better mileage than that on full time urban work. Especially with the auto stop-start enabled via the simple switch on the rhs switchgear which worked just as expected. Sit still for a few seconds. It shuts down, twist the throttle and it starts back up again. Nice.
I did note one interesting thing however in that if you turn the engine off fully with the dial while having it on auto stop, then you need to give it a little rev to get it started.. It wont just start by pressing the button. Had me scratching my head again for a bit.
When it comes time to park, the centre-stand is a doddle to use as it’s such a lightweight bike for even the most physically challenged amongst us. Super easy to put on and off the stand.
The dash is a bit unusual. It has a display that shows you the day and month and it also shows you ambient temp. But doesnt show you the engine temp, which I’m starting to see more of on the latest motorcycles and can’t say I like it. And where I was expecting a tacho that space is instead replaced with an ‘insta fuel consumption’ readout. I did pay attention to it every now and again initially for curiosity’s sake, but I’m not sure I’d look at it much after the first couple of weeks if it was mine. I think most folks understand that when you twist the throttle harder it uses more fuel… 🙂
Styling wise it seems nicely executed if a little busy but I don’t mind it. Lots of individual surface details and they’re all quite nicely finished with good quality materials. Plenty to look at while you’re sipping your latte. I did seem to have to keep wiping the bike down in that colour scheme, the footrest areas in particular just kept showing up dirt and scuffs.
And although there’s plenty of useful storage space including a charger equipped 2 Litre pod in the dash, note that the underseat storage didn’t fit either of the two full face helmets I tried which I thought was disappointing. We tried every which way to make it fit, but it was about an inch short of closing. Probably would have got it to shut if I forced it, but I’m not going to do that to a helmet… I’d expect it’s made for open faced helmets even though the blurb says full face… So you’d want to check it before buying a lid.
To top it off – that great price tag for Honda build quality and confidence. And for that, you can ignore some quirks in the dash etc. I actually think it’s a pretty solid offering. Plenty to like, especially for those wanting something a little different to the Vespa look.
Why I like it:
Light, nimble, get on and go once you get used to the fob
Honda build quality – good smooth engine, no shortfalls mechanically
That price!
I’d like it more if:
The underseat storage actually fitted my full faced lids
The adjustable screen had some more height to it
The seat could be a little softer for soaking up our rubbish roads
Taiwanese scooter manufacturer, Kymco, just introduced a ton of newly updated scooters to the market along with their first adventure scooter: the DT X360.
At first glance, – I’m just going to put this out there – it comes nowhere near close to being as cool as the new Honda X-ADV (Seriously, Honda, hook me up over here). I wouldn’t particularly call this maxiscooter an “Adventure Scooter”, but there sure is some offroad potential with the vehicle.
The most notable ‘offroad’ features found on this scooter would be the adventure beak and the semi-knobbed tires.
The scooter features a 321cc thumper producing 28.2 ponies and 22 lb-ft of torque, has a seat height of 31.5 inches, LED lighting all around, a mega-sized storage compartment (as most scooters do, but this one, in particular, can hold two full-size helmets with room to spare), keyless ignition and a sizable LED full-color display with USB ports ready at the sides.
Although this isn’t an off-roading beast, this will be a great option for riders living in countries with fewer paved roads and lots of dirt pathways. It would be great to see Kymco add a few more features to make it more off-road friendly; perhaps a slightly upgraded suspension to provide riders with some slightly extra clearance (in the photos it looks as though it’s about standard scooter height).
Currently, we have no information regarding pricing or official release date for this ADV scoot.
The ‘new’ model is the SH350i; a higher displacement replacement for the SH300i that is no longer in production. The entire selling point of this new scooter is the 350cc eSP+ engine found within the unit. eSP is a system Honda has developed to give owners a quieter, smoother ride. Honda has really gone out of the way to eliminate any audible discomforts with this scooter; even the start-up noise is close to silent. The eSP technology reduces noise and friction from many of the internal components and improves the overall efficiency of the engine.
Beyond the engine, the SH350i gets an updated look, USB port, Smart key, and LCD display that will be found standard on the majority of their 2021 motorcycle lineup.
The other scooter in question is the legendary PCX 125; one of the world’s most popular options found on the global marketplace. The engine of the new 2021 PCX 125 gets the eSP+ treatment as well. Taking a step back from the mechanical components of this award-winning scooter, we find a redesigned frame for weight-reduction (which allowed for more storage space under the seat. 30.4 liters to be exact), updated LED headlight assembly, and the same USB port found on the SH350i.
Scooters aren’t a huge market in North America due to a large number of highways and long-distance travel, so don’t get your hopes up on either of these models making it over the ocean for our American readers to scoop.
Currently, we have no pricing or release date scheduled for either scooter.